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Monthly Archives: May 2015

Praise has been heaped on Wellington’s Clyde Quay Wharf, which has been named the country’s top commercial building project.

The exclusive apartment redevelopment, which juts out into Wellington Harbour, took the supreme award in the 2015 Commercial Projects Awards awarded by the Registered Master Builders Association on Friday.

It also took the residential category, a gold, and the value award for properties worth more than $15 million.

Clyde Quay Wharf was built by LT McGuinness, which had to strengthen the 100-year old passenger wharf underneath before construction could go ahead.

Designed by Athfield Architects, and engineered by Dunning Thornton, the redevelopment beat 33 other premium projects.

Judges called it a “design, engineering and construction masterpiece”.

“The project team ventured into thoroughly uncharted territory, and by building strong partnerships with the regulatory authorities and a whole range of local and international experts, have delivered a superbly detailed landmark building that is more than deserving of this accolade.”

The judges made special note of the project’s under-wharf basement carpark – thought to be the first of its kind in Australasia –which involved 205 piles and 28 individual, 90-tonne slabs cast above the level of high tide.

They also liked the mix of old and new in the development, which included the reuse of a number of heritage items found in the original building such as mosaic artworks, a world clock and the original spire.

Awards spokesperson Greg Pritchard says the winners represented the very best in New Zealand’s commercial property sector.

As well as securing the supreme award, Wellington buildings won two categories, two value awards, three golds, and five silvers.

They included buildings in the Government precinct and CBD, including the Ambassador’s Residence, 312 Lambton Quay, 15 Stout Street, Te Puni Kokiri and Shed 6.

The huge reconstruction effort in Christchurch also yielded a number of awards, including Norwest on Victoria, which won a commercial and civic gold and the $5m to $15m category for Fletcher Construction.

Leighs Construction was also recognised with an education gold for the Rangi Ruru Girls School’s science centre, and a gold and the health category for its work on the Christchurch Eye Surgery.

Cambridge’s Avantidrome national cycling centre won the industrial category, a gold, and a special award for excellence, rewarding its builders Livingstone Building NZ.

Southern-based Amalgamated Builders took out a platinum award – a once-in-a-lifetime award that goes to an organisation that has won five or more national titles .

Its previous work includes Queenstown’s Sofitel Hotel, Wanaka’s Rippon Hall at Rippon Vineyard and Wanaka’s Puzzling World Sculptillusion Gallery.